Russell Hollander has been named as National Executive Director of the Directors Guild of America, the DGA announced on Sunday. He will replace Jay D. Roth, who will retire in May after 22 years with the guild.
Hollander has worked at the DGA for 16 years, for the last six years as the Associate National Executive Director. He was selected unanimously at a meeting on Sunday, the day after the DGA Awards, at which Roth became only the fourth person to receive the guild’s Presidents Award.
Hollander’s selection was unanimous, according to a DGA press release.
“In this appointment, we ensure the continued strength and stability of our Guild,” said DGA President Paris Barclay in a statement. “Long committed to advancing the creative and economic rights of our members, Russ is a respected and accomplished leader with a strong track record of success on behalf of our membership and the industry. Together with his deep roots in our Guild, Russ brings the necessary combination of strategic thinking, negotiating prowess, labor law expertise, and appreciation of our craft to build upon the DGA’s strong foundation under Jay, well into the future.”
Hollander was a partner at the labor law firm of Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP before joining the DGA in 2001 as Assistant Eastern Executive Director. He worked in the New York office until 2016, when he moved to Los Angeles to take an expanded role in the organization.
He served as the guild’s chief negotiator in six network negotiations and four commercial negotiations.
Roth will remain with the DGA as a senior adviser.